In a powerful address at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne emphasized that reparations for slavery and colonial exploitation should be viewed as a matter of justice rather than charity. Browne urged wealthy nations to recognize their historical role in centuries of exploitation and to engage in reparatory justice as a moral obligation.
Browne stated, ‘Reparatory justice is not charity. It is principled restitution for wealth extracted, for unpaid labor, barbaric killings, and physical abuse endured by our forebears.’ He clarified that small states are not seeking handouts but fairness, equity, and financial systems that account for risk.
The Prime Minister linked the reparations agenda to broader issues of structural inequality, highlighting how colonialism and slavery have perpetuated underdevelopment in Caribbean economies. He called for international partners to approach the reparations agenda ‘in good faith’ as part of building a more equitable global economy.
Browne’s speech resonated with longstanding demands from Caribbean leaders, particularly through the CARICOM Reparations Commission, which has consistently pushed for negotiations with former colonial powers. By bringing this issue to the UN General Assembly, Browne elevated the call for justice and dignity for small states and their people on a global diplomatic stage.